OTTAWA, August 1, 2006 - The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) has established a Participant Funding Program of up to $150,000 to help the public take part in the joint review of the proposed EnCana - CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area Shallow Gas Infill Development project in Alberta. The joint review panel will include members appointed by the Minister of the Environment and by the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board.
The funds will assist interested members of the public to review the guidelines for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), to review the EIS and to participate in the public hearings. The draft guidelines will soon be made available for public consultation. The EIS, to be prepared by the proponent, is a statement of the anticipated environmental effects of the project.
A funding review committee, independent of the panel, will review the applications received and recommend allocation of funds in accordance with the eligibility criteria set out in the Participant Funding Program Guide. The Guide and application forms are available on the Agency's Web site.
Funding applications received at the Agency by August 31, 2006 will be considered. To submit a completed application or for more information on the Participant Funding Program, contact:
Suzanne Osborne
Acting Manager
Participant Funding Program
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
160 Elgin Street, 22nd Floor
Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3
Tel.: 613-957-0254
Fax: 613-957-0941
suzanne.osborne@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
For additional information on the joint review process, contact:
Marie-France Therrien
Panel Manager
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Tel.: 613-957-0324
Fax.: 613-957-0941
marie-france.therrien@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
EnCana Corporation proposes to install, over a three-year period, up to 1275 new shallow gas wells within the boundary of the Canadian Forces Base Suffield National Wildlife Area (NWA), located in southeastern Alberta, approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Medicine Hat and 250 kilometres southeast of Calgary. The project is in addition to the existing natural gas development activities within the NWA and includes the physical works and the activities associated with the preparation, construction, operation, decommissioning and abandonment of the shallow gas wells, pipelines, and supporting infrastructure.
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The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers the federal environmental assessment process, which identifies the environmental effects of proposed projects and measures to address those effects, in support of sustainable development.
Media may contact:
Lucille Jamault
Senior Communications Advisor
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Tel.: 613-957-0434
